


Starting Together

by uncreativerabbit



Category: Free!
Genre: Angst, First Time, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-11 02:13:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5609962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uncreativerabbit/pseuds/uncreativerabbit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been a few years since the events of Free, Rei is now in a Tokyo university. He misses Nagisa and always regrets not confessing his love to him. They meet up again at a New Years party after Nagisa drags him along, bitter that everyone else is coupled up.</p><p>Alcohol is spilt, sparks fly and a certain bet is made.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Starting Together

Rei and Nagisa were ringing in their third new year as friends. The last few months had been particularly hard as Rei had moved away for university while Nagisa got a job as a waiter in a dessert café. Rei, not one for desserts had popped in once he had come back to Iwatobi for Christmas to surprise Nagisa. Seeing him in that uniform: the crisp shirt, firm black waistcoat, trousers and tie with polished shoes had brought back those feelings he had learned to oppress.

 

Ah yes, that elephant in the room known as feelings.

 

Rei had planned to confess them at the graduation party, but Nagisa had stopped him. Well, more so Nagisa’s constant sobbing and emphasis on their great friendship. He was wailing and clutching onto Rei and in those actions, Rei swallowed his feelings for what he thought would be eternity. Nagisa, in all his innocence, saw Rei as a dependable friend with no ulterior motive but kindness and Rei did not want to shatter the semi-illusion – he was dependable and kind and would continue to be, even if he were to be turned down, but that didn’t mean that his feelings didn’t influence his actions.

 

Nevertheless, they said their fond goodbyes and Rei secretly shed a few tears in the back of the car. Boxes were poking in his back, his parents were arguing in the front about directions and his best friend was waving him off, sadly. As soon as they had drove out of Iwatobi, Rei’s phone sounded and a chunk of text appeared on screen.

 

“ _Rei-chan, we must keep in contact every day, you hear me! We’re going to be friends forever! I’m so glad I managed to convince you to join the swim team, I honestly don’t know what I would have done without you. Well, there would have been no swim team, but I’ve never had a friend like you before and I adore you. Anyway, good luck at university, kick arse with your studies and who knows, perhaps this will be your time to get laid ;). Don’t forget about little old me, though! – Nagisa xo”_

“Yes, we’re going to be friends forever,” Rei mumbled to himself.

 

“What was that, dear?” His mother asked.

 

“Nothing.”

 

 _Friends forever. Just that. Friends._ Rei’s pessimistic brain taunted him for the entire car journey and he didn’t respond to Nagisa.

 

Texts between the two of them were few and far between, Rei threw himself into work and training, joining the swim society and the gym. He occasionally made time for a few parties and nightclub visits and with those came awkward kisses and misused tongues he would prefer to forget. Apart from a quick blowjob in the toilet in the back of a gay bar once, Rei had barely had any contact with another guy’s penis. He left out these details to Nagisa when he was probed about what he had done.

 

 _“Nothing much,”_ he had texted.

 

 _“Aww, I was hoping you would have got laid by now, we could have compared!”_ was the response he received back. Rei put his phone down, joined his flatmates and sunk more vodka shots than he or his wallet cared to even consider. He was thrown into a taxi at the end of the night crying and even now, still can’t recount how he made it from the taxi into his room. His fingers lingered over Nagisa’s name all night, but he didn’t dare push. The next day he looked at his internet history to find tuxedos and train tickets to Iwatobi and that was the last he ever texted Nagisa.

 

Nagisa’s smile had been instant the moment he had walked into the café and he was seated at a small table by the window. Green tea was bought over a few moments later along with a few minty treats. Rei tucked in immediately and had to return the proud smile Nagisa gave him.

 

“I knew I’d remember your favourites.” Nagisa declared and pulled up the seat opposite him, breaking off a piece of brownie to eat.

 

“So, are you coming to Rin’s party tonight? You can be my chaperone and my partner in crime, all the others are coupled up and I don’t want to be alone.” Nagisa asked, and Rei set his fork down in thought.

 

Haruka and Rin had got together after a lot of apparent hate sex and arguing. Makoto, with a huge crush on Haru had walked in on them one night and ran off, devastated and phoned Rei, who was at the time intoxicated. They had both had a heart to heart over their infatuations and vowed to help each other move on. A month later, Makoto had skyped him sitting next to a petite blonde girl who studied childcare. They were both sugary sweet and perfect for each other and had even moved into the same room at university. Gou had Seijuro and the rest of the Samezuka lot had found people too.

 

Rei decided to twist the knife into his own wound.

 

“I’m surprised you haven’t found someone yet, though. Or have you been filling your head with ridiculous shojo manga ideas?”

 

“I like someone already.” Nagisa responded, curtly.

 

“Nagisa! Stop chatting with customers and serve, we’re getting complaints.” The manageress was standing there, furious as there were a line of three or so customers waiting to be seated. He stood up, smiled at Rei and wandered off to serve the other customers, apologising profusely.

 

So that was how Rei found himself dressed up uncomfortably in too-tight black jeans and a short sleeved button up being dragged along by Nagisa to this party. The house was already full by the time they had got there and the smell of alcohol and sweat permeated the air. The EDM music was played loudly and various teenagers downed drinks and dirty danced against each other. Makoto and his blonde bombshell were sprawled out on a sofa, completely entranced with each other and Rin was dancing with Haruka, his hands firmly on Haru’s hips.

 

Rei checked his watch, it was 11:32 pm.

 

Rei awkwardly greeted Makoto and had a brief conversation with him while his girlfriend sat on his lap. The tell-tale ruffling of her skirt and her flushed, hidden face told Rei that they were doing things that probably deserved to be private but Makoto was still chatting to him about Nagisa.

 

“So, you two came in together and by the look of your trousers, he’s had an influence on your fashion choice. You two an item yet?” Makoto asked, with a chuckle. _To hell with it,_ Rei thought, and took a seat next to the couple. Makoto’s girlfriend let out a small moan and bit her lip. Rei tried to keep eye contact with Makoto.

 

“Friends forever.” Rei quoted and Makoto rolled his eyes.

 

“A thousand yen says you guys get together by the end of this year.”

 

“Don’t you mean next year?”

 

“No, this year. Well no, by the end of this party.”

  
“Done deal.”

  
Rei held out his right hand and Makoto raised his eyebrow, his left hand was more than occupied at this moment. Rei nervously coughed and muttered something unintelligible and held out his left. They both shook on it as Nagisa came over to claim Rei.

 

“I’ve set out shots.” He told Rei, and both went to race each other to see who could down them the fastest.

  
Rei won, which surprised the crowd and worried Nagisa. How much had he been drinking?

 

It was now fast approaching midnight. The music had dulled down and the crowd were all standing around the television, drink in hand, lover in arm, ready to count in 2016. Rei pulled away from an unidentified Samezuka boy and scuttled over to Nagisa, who was also pulling his tongue out of someone else’s mouth. The shots and more had got to them and they were wobbling on their feet, so Rei threw an arm around Nagisa.

 

“Ten, nine, eight, seven…” the eager crowd shouted as the two of them glanced at each other for a few seconds and shared an intimate smile. Nagisa’s turned wicked after a second, as if he were plotting something.

 

“three, two, one, happy New Years, everyone!”

 

As the attendees of the party leaned in to kiss one another, Rei’s eyes locked with the unidentified Samezuka boy making a beeline for him. Just at that moment, Rei’s head was turned the other way forcefully, he was yanked down and a pair of chapped lips were pressed firmly against his. It was Nagisa.

 

The kiss was chaste, and as they pulled away, Rei could feel the room staring at him. Namely Makoto, who was casting a lewd look his way.

 

 _Not yet Makoto, it was just a kiss._ Rei would have told him if telecommunication were possible.

 

Nagisa cupped his head and smiled bashfully at Rei.

 

“I wanted you to be my New Year’s kiss.” Nagisa confessed.

 

Rei paused as Nagisa went in for another kiss, not as chaste as the last. Nagisa nipped at his bottom lip as if to pull it open. Rei obliged and opened his mouth, letting out a slight moan as Nagisa gently pushed his tongue in. They both came up for air and went back in again, kissing and nipping at each other. Nagisa pulled away and trailed kisses down Rei’s jaw to his neck, biting and sucking at the skin to mark it.

 

“Rei-chan.” Nagisa whimpered, leaning in close to him and nuzzling against his chest, clutching onto his shirt. Rei snaked an arm around his waist as Nagisa’s whimper went straight to his groin and a shaky breath escaped his mouth. Nagisa was now giving him half-lidded, teary eyes and his lips were parted. He too, was breathing heavily.

 

Everyone else had gone back to dancing. Rei and Nagisa escaped upstairs.

 

They had barely made it through the door of a bedroom before Rei pinned Nagisa to the door and kissed him deeply. They were kissing and tripping over each other all the way to the bed. Rei landed first and Nagisa took the opportunity to slather on more kisses and lovebites down Rei’s body, ridding him of his shirt and tossing it in the general direction of the door.

  
“It’s always been you, Rei, always you that I’ve pictured. Always you in my thoughts, doing romantic things with me, doing dirty things to me, making love, cuddling, me watching you. It’s always been you.” Nagisa confessed, grinding their hips into each other. Rei couldn’t respond and only raised his hips to meet Nagisa’s.

 

“Rei, will you humour me?” Nagisa asked and Rei looked up at him, questionably.

 

“I always picture you getting yourself off, will you make it a reality for me?” He asked in return, too innocently for the question posed. Nagisa’s hand was already at Rei’s button, working at it to get his jeans off. Rei couldn’t say no.

 

“Close your eyes.”

 

Rei did as he was told, and as he felt his jeans being slid off down his legs, he grasped ahold of his dick and began pumping with his eyes shut. His mouth fell open and he was whimpering to himself.

 

The experience was absurd, sober Rei spoke in his mind. The rest of him didn’t care though, he could hear Nagisa gasp in awe and the sound of clothes being removed. As Nagisa clambered onto him, more kisses were being placed up and down his torso which turned him on even more. He could feel Nagisa’s hardened member bouncing about against him, the friction making Nagisa whimper.

 

Nagisa’s mouth went to his ear and gently nibbled on the top. He stopped and let his lips linger there for a second.

 

“Rei.” Nagisa breathed, dropping any sort of honorific.

  
“Nagisa, I, I-“ Rei could feel the familiar sensation beginning to build. Nagisa reached down and sharply grabbed his penis. Rei opened his eyes instantly.

 

Lips closed around it instead and Rei’s hands instantly went into the bedsheets. He was saying Nagisa’s name like a prayer, when again, all too soon, it stopped. He was so close now he was tempted to just flip himself over and grind into the bed, but that thought was halted when he watched Nagisa lay on the bed, sprawling himself out.

 

“Please, Rei, please. I prepared myself to the sight of you.”

 

Rei was flattered and overcome by lust and as he went to push a finger in, Nagisa hissed.

 

“I don’t want your finger.” He said, bluntly. Rei was tempted to ask him what he wanted but his virgin nervousness overcame him and he instead complied, gently pushing himself into Nagisa. Nagisa mewled and wrapped his arms around Rei as the both of them worked up a rhythm.

 

Nagisa was a vocal minx, whimpering and moaning Rei’s name and while Rei would have been embarrassed usually, he was unimaginably turned on. He quickened his pace as Nagisa yelled out and buried his head into Nagisa’s neck, deciding to return the loving mark Nagisa had given him. He sucked his skin before pulling up and pressing his lips to Nagisa’s for a messy, unfocused kiss.

 

Nagisa turned away after a few seconds and jolted, biting hard into a pillow and gripping onto the nearest thing – Rei’s back. Marks would definitely be there the next day, even a few days after.

 

“Rei, Rei, please, oh, Rei!” were Nagisa’s muffled screams as he came, with Rei following shortly after.

 

The both of them didn’t care to rejoin the party and the haze of exhaustion and alcohol overcame them as they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

 

Rei woke a few hours later because of the sensation of someone watching. He glanced up at the door, groggily and saw Makoto gazing in at the two of them, dressed in his coat and shoes with his girlfriend next to him. She was smiling warmly at them.

 

“So I came to get the money. We all heard you last night, I guess I forgot to mention that Nagisa howls like a werewolf.” Makoto joked and Rei shot him a look.

 

“We’re not together, we only had sex. You owe me the money.”

 

“Ok, I’ll give it a couple of hours then. You may want to vacate, Rin wants his room back.” And with that, Makoto turned on his heel and shut the door behind him.

  
Rei grimaced at the thought and looked around at the room. Their pile of clothes at the door, their bodily fluids drying on the bedsheets, Nagisa next to him in bed, asleep. Rei gently shoved him and Nagisa woke up, giving Rei a sleepy smile before trying to go back off.

 

“Come on, we’ve got to get dressed and go.” Rei ordered and they both got dressed in silence.

 

The silence continued as they walked back home, probably to Rei’s house. Nagisa hung onto Rei as his hangover took hold, groaning and leaning against his arm but still saying nothing. Rei’s eyes began to fill up; he had royally messed up the night before, he had slept with his best friend and they were walking back to discuss it and part ways, oh, he’d never have a chance now!

 

“Rei-chan, why’re you crying?” Nagisa stopped and this stopped Rei. Nagisa leant forward and began rubbing Rei’s arm carefully, comforting him.

 

“We slept together.”

 

“Oh. Did you not like it?”

 

“It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”

 

Nagisa paused in thought. Rei was openly crying now, little hiccups breaking up his words.

 

“I wanted it, you wanted it, I don’t see the problem.”

 

“Because I love you!” Rei bellowed and then made to sprint off. Nagisa’s words again, stopped him.

 

“I know.”

Rei turned to look at Nagisa in horror. If he knew all this time, if he’d figured it out! Then again, he had stuck around, but maybe that was only out of pity after all.

 

“Makoto told me ages ago so I decided to make New Year’s right. I wanted to tell you as you were leaving for university that I loved you, but I couldn’t stop crying.”

 

Rei had already scooped up Nagisa in a tight, almost crushing hug. Nagisa sighed happily and wrapped his arms around him in return to comfort him. They stood there for a while, basking in the glow of the rising sun.

 

“Happy New Year, Nagisa.”

 

“Happy New Year, Rei.”

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: tsu-nni


End file.
